Taoiseach 'empathetic' with Priory Hall residents

TAOISEACH ENDA Kenny yesterday briefly met residents of the Priory Hall apartment complex in Dublin which was evacuated six months ago due to safety issues.

Speaking after a jobs announcement in Baldoyle yesterday afternoon, Mr Kenny said he empathised with the residents.

“It’s a horror for a family to have to leave their house and be out for so long,” he said. “They quite rightly pointed out that this was a consequence of the kind of activity that went on during the so-called Celtic Tiger years.”

Mr Kenny was asked to put pressure on the banks to freeze mortgages on the apartments, which the residents still have to pay.

He was asked to meet the residents again after a Supreme Court hearing set for later this month.

An appeal by Dublin City Council against orders requiring it to pay accommodation and other costs of the residents will be heard by the court on April 24th.

“Clearly, I can’t interfere in any way with the Supreme Court decision which is due in the next number of weeks, but I am very empathetic with the difficulties,” Mr Kenny said.

In a statement, the residents said: “While the Taoiseach offered his sympathies to the residents, he did not make any commitments in respect of Government assistance.

“The residents feel after six months of anguish and voluminous letters to the Taoiseach that as elected leader of our country he should do more than extend his sympathies.”